The Berkeley Haas Video Interview – What to Expect + Sample Questions

UPDATE: This article was originally posted on February 16, 2022. It has been updated with 2023/24 information and tips below. 

With its location in the heart of Silicon Valley and relentless focus on challenging the status quo, Berkeley Haas is at the top of many innovators’ lists of dream schools. 

However, as the number of people seeking to break into the technology segment grows every year, getting admitted to Haas’ small MBA class is harder than ever. 

This has been even more complicated to navigate with the Haas adcom’s decision to add a video interview component last year. 

That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you use your Berkeley Haas admissions video interview to stand out. We’ve rounded up not only our best tips but have also included sample interview questions to ensure you give your Haas application your best shot.

 

How the Haas video interview works 

As one of the most elite business schools in the world (and one of the smallest MBA classes), landing an interview with Haas is no easy task. 

Thus, if you have passed to the interview phase of the Haas application process, congratulations! This is already an exceptional achievement. 

Source: The Berkeley Haas website

If you complete the video option for your interview, here’s what you can expect:

• You will have to answer 5 questions in total
• For each question, you have 45 seconds to think and 3 minutes to answer. 
• You don’t have to speak for the full 3 minutes. You can end your answer early if needed. 
• Questions 1, 2, and 5 (please see below) are fixed. Questions 3 and 4 are somewhat random but center around teamwork, humility, and taking risks. In recent months, however, most candidates are getting very similar questions for 3 and 4. 

Jenny Clare, associate director of admissions, shared these tips:

• Don’t be nervous; it’s a relatively straightforward process as long as you practice with the technology ahead of time.
• Make sure you have a reliable internet connection.
• Think about your topics and answers ahead of time; practice speaking comfortably and naturally.
• Remember: the video essay is just one part of the application.

NOTE: If you decide to complete the more traditional Haas interview, check out this post with expert tips!

 

Who is Haas looking for?

Source: @berkeleyhaas on Instagram

“The Berkeley MBA Program develops innovative leaders who know how to put new ideas to work, and to do so responsibly. By leveraging the innovative energy that’s ever-present in Berkeley Haas culture and in the business ecosystem of the San Francisco Bay Area, the program teaches you how to seize opportunities, challenge conventional wisdom, and act creatively.” Berkeley Haas Admissions 

Every year, Haas reviews thousands of applications to hand-pick less than 250 students to take part in their prestigious MBA program. There is no “standard” student at Haas, yet the average admitted student does tend to have 5.6 years of work experience and either an average 733 GMAT or Q163/V161 GRE score. Diversity is also a strong point for Haas, with its Class of 2025 containing 41% women, 14% LGBTQ+, 48% US minorities, and 47% international students. 

In addition, Haas also looks for candidates who embody their leadership principles:

Source: The Berkeley Haas website

If this sounds like a community in which you’d be right at home, you’ll first have to prove you’ve got what it takes by successfully navigating the Berkeley Haas video interview. 

 

How can you prepare for your Haas interview?

Though no interview is 100% predictable, Haas’s video interviews are more predictable than a typical interview. Please find the questions you can expect below. Though you may receive slightly different questions for #3 and #4, they are very likely to be similar to what is listed below. 

QUESTION 1 (FIXED)

• Tell us something that shows how you will be able to contribute to diversity and inclusion on campus. 

QUESTION 2 (FIXED)

• Why do you want to complete an MBA and why Haas? (We suggest you mention your goals before diving into this answer!)

QUESTION 3 AND 4 (VARIABLE)

Since the questions all follow a similar structure/topic, we have grouped all possible options here. 

• Tell us about an experience when you led a team and the situation became stressful and morale was low. What did you do and what were the results?
• Tell us about a time when you argued with someone and turned out to be in the wrong.
• Tell us about a time when you worked on a team of people who had strong opinions. How did you overcome the situation? 

• Tell us about a time when being humble led to a positive outcome. 
• Tell us about a time when you collaborated with a cross-functional team. What was difficult about the process and what did you learn?
• Tell us about a time when you forged trust and collaboration with the people you work with. How did it make you feel and what did you learn?
• Tell us about a time when you had to align a team toward a common goal. 
• Tell us about a time you took a risk in your professional life. What was the outcome and what did you learn from this experience?
• Give us an example of a time when you convinced your colleagues to do something that was not in their job descriptions. How did you go about convincing them?

QUESTION 5 (FIXED)

• Is there anything else that you would like to add?

In addition to these questions, we have also prepared several mock interviews with fixed sets of questions so you can accelerate your practice. We suggest using them to have a friend or colleague test you on your interview performance. 

We have found that answering real interview questions on the spot is a much better means of preparation than reading lists of interview questions for most candidates.

We highly suggest you take a look at mock interview questions and sample interview responses before your interview. 

Our MBA Resource Center has dozens of real interview mocks from Haas, as well as detailed guides to help you prepare for questions ranging from “Why our MBA program?” to “Tell us about a time you failed.”

The Ellin Lolis Consulting MBA Resource Center is your one-stop shop for interview success. Click to join!

If you’re still not quite confident with your interview skills, our interview experts can help you craft your answers or prepare you for the Haas video interview through mock interviews tailored to your profile. 

 

Make sure you’re admitted to the Haas MBA

You have stressed about every aspect of your MBA application, and now you are ready for your interview! With the right preparation, this can be your chance to shine and get a highly-coveted spot at an elite business school. 

However, maybe you don’t know where to start in preparing, or maybe you tend to ramble on and lose focus during interviews. Maybe you’ve even downloaded sample questions and written out your answers. The problem is, when you try to apply these templates to your own story, it doesn’t quite work.

Our interview prep focuses on helping you determine how to present yourself during your MBA interview while using appropriate, impact-driven language without being artificial, or worse, robotic.

That’s why 98.9% of our clients secure admissions to at least one of their target schools. 

Forget simulation platforms or long lists of tips – our 1:1 preparation focuses on playing to your strengths and overcoming your weaknesses to turn you into an interview expert. Hire our interview services here. VIP packages that allow you to work directly with Ellin sell out quickly, so make sure you sign up today!